since a long time yet there is a idea in my head which is great but really difficult to implement. The main Linux Mint Team have to corborate with another company which builds and sells her own PCs (like Dell, Acer, HP etc.).The idea is a bit pinched from Apple but why shouldn't we use ways which were proved as good in the past.

To the idea:We can make a notebook which is designed to fit completly perfect in the Linux Mint design. The case have to look individual and must harmonize with the desktop design in Linux Mint. For example at the borders by the monitor of the laptop. There can be design elements which fit to the wallpaper. Like a gradient moving from the upper left corner of the laptop-monitor-border through the wallpaper and ending at the lower right corner of the monitor-border (just for a example). The complete case (inclusive keyboard, touchpad, speakers etc.) has to fit completely in the Mint design.The hardware has to be just medium and than we have to sell it in a price which is as low as possible. So that another laptop with windows or such stuff looks extremly expensive compared to the Linux Mint book. This shouldn't be a big problem because you pay 80 Euros just for Windows in Germany.

Than you have to exploit it as THE laptop for students or other target groups.

Compare this idea with Apple's idea of making a complete system which fits complety together. But we move in the other direction. We make it less expensive and sell it to other target groups with other needs (like the students which don't have much money and have everything just for free preinstalled on the laptop and don't need to pay as much money as for another laptop). You have to look closely at the needs of the target groups, too. A student needs a comfortable keyboard and a great battery whit a long life. A webcam or good speakers aren't that necessary for a student because he can't chat or listen to music in the university at the reading anyway. You can offer three hardware/cost categorys. One laptop which is very cheap but doesn't have that much power. One laptop which is medium powerful and medium in the price. An one laptop which is very powerful but expensive.You can make desktop-PCs that way, too. With a fitting keyboard, mouse and monitor.

One thing we can decide now yet is the name. I'm not really good in finding cool names for things. We need a very smooth name for the book. Like the "Minty Book" or something . Just make a few suggestions for fun .

I thing that would be great and would promote Linux Mint and Linux in common very much. I would buy a Linux Mint book . Angtagapagligt

P.S.: The great artworkers in the community could make some drafts of the book if you have a bit of time

Last edited by Angtagapagligt on Thu Jul 14, 2011 6:25 am, edited 1 time in total.

"Really, I'm not out to destroy Microsoft. That will just be a completely unintentional side effect."- Linus Torvalds Interview with David Diamond, September the 28th 2003

I though this would be about a Linux Mint book, as in a paper book. Doh. Too bad, because I would buy that. As for laptops, I don't like those It is a nice suggestion, but I think it will take a lot of leverage to get to cooperate with a hardware company on this. Also, I think the big names in laptops get Windows for a lot less than € 80 as part of huge bulk deals with Microsoft.

Hmmm I think selling laptops with just Linux Mint preinstalled isn't the right way because this doesn't build the feeling that you need it. The normal user won't choose the option of a preinstalled Linux. You can have a look at Dell where a few laptops can be bought with Ubuntu preinstalled but I don't think that any normal user has chosen this option yet.

The funny thing about that is, that every user who is upset about his PC just is upset about Windows. I've given Linux Mint 5 different user (with different needs) now and every user is just excited about it and asks me: "Why is Windows so expensive and much worser than the free Linux?" I'm really happy about that but I would like to give this feeling to many more people

nunol wrote:I also thought you were talking about a paper book, now that is a good idea! Make a nice Mint book and sell it as a way to give funds for Mint.

Are you talking about the paper book or the laptop? If you talk about the laptop: I can't do this on my own

"Really, I'm not out to destroy Microsoft. That will just be a completely unintentional side effect."- Linus Torvalds Interview with David Diamond, September the 28th 2003

I think Clem should talk with a corporation. I think we would have the best chance with Lenovo.A question doesn't cost anything

Eventually when I find a bit of time I could talk with the corporation. Maybe even something new arises.Edit: But I just do this when I get some drafts from our great artworkers! Because if the implausibly case happen that they are intrested I've to do a presentation or something.

"Really, I'm not out to destroy Microsoft. That will just be a completely unintentional side effect."- Linus Torvalds Interview with David Diamond, September the 28th 2003

I install mint on other peoples laptops all the time, only one complained and went back to windoze, mainly because I wasn't there to show the person anything, it was a quick install update and left the person to it.Otherwise that person probably would of stayed on it also.The big test is getting the info out there to folks, the question I always here when I explain linux is "why haven't we heard this before, or they didn't know they had another option besides mac or windoze, or isn't that the system only geeks use? it's it hard for me."Once it's explained to them and the bonuses (like security, less viruses if any at all) no cost for almost if not all software and no antivirus / firewall programs that slow the beejeebers out of a system, the ones linux use are quick and small and effective oh yeah and free of course, less bogging down with useless stuff a lot quicker etc etc etc etc the list goes on and on, they almost beg for it especially when you tell them it's now user friendly for the non geek community, I tell them I have my mother in her 70's using lmde So they can use it if she can.That I foundthis is the selling point. Selling laptops with the mint preinstalled is all find and dandy but unless the market knows what the heck the mint is it probably will never fly, except to those who know what it is already. Not unless there is a ("The benefits of having Linux Mint Preinstalled over having Windoze installed") including in that selling.I remember seeing years ago an add to buy a computer with lindows on it, the selling point to me was the free software, the compatablitlty with windows software (since I did not know about linux that much back then and was using windoze) the YOU CANNOT CRASH THIS SYSTEM since this happened all the time doing graphics at work on windows, it almost sold me until I seen linux (at the time I was scared of it like a lot of windoze users), later I heard billy bob gates sued them over the name bought half of it or something and shut it down If I recollect correctly.Anyhow I'd pitch in if need be on some artwork. Let me know. Just add the selling pointsSam

"Windows: the worst system for the most money, Linux: the best system for free" Registered Linux User #545430Arch Cinnamon / Mint Cinnamonasus X751LX and an acer and a toshiba and another asus

Agree with samriggs; for selling a laptop with Linux Mint the most important part will be the marketing aspect--getting the message out there what it is and what it would do for the users. As a side note: my mother is in her sixties and uses Ubuntu without problems. Can't get her to switch to Linux Mint yet though

Yeah that's my opinion, too. The idea behind this "Linux Mint Book" is that you make Linux Mint more attractive to the users. Because a normal user which have to download a .iso make a live-CD and have to do a prober install of the OS all by hisself is just overcharged and he don't have the motivation to learn/do this. The Linux Mint Book gives the user a complete box of a well designed, attractive laptop with great software.

I can compare this with Apple (like before - sorry ). As my father bought his first MAC I had never seen anything like this before (I just did know normal PCs with Windows). I was surprised about the great design and the functional great OS. Everyone else who has seen this PC thought it was something like a UFO. The looked under the table to see the tower - but there was now tower. The "monitor" was the only thing they could see. In fact they have never seen a MAC before. Nowadays they come into see my fathers MACs and say "Great a MAC!" They know this PCs and know how to work with it (less or more).

The same thing should go on with the Linux Mint Book but in a other direction. I don't want to have a OS for my mother. I want a laptop with the OS for everyone but especially a young target group. Who doesn't want Windows anymore and who are to inquisite for MAC. No OS can bring the different needs of the users as good together as Linux Mint do. You can give it to your grandmother (we've heared about it ) and she will be able to writer her letter or whatever she want to do. You can give it to your aunt (my personal experience ) who plays online browser-games, writes and reads e-mails and chats. You can give it to a student which want to have learning programs, want to chat, want to e-mail and so on and so on. Finally you can give it to everyone.

I'm very very thankfull that a few (maybe the most ) people share my opinion. I wasn't sure if I should write about the idea but soon I'll have the first drafts! That's amazing Many thanks!

"Really, I'm not out to destroy Microsoft. That will just be a completely unintentional side effect."- Linus Torvalds Interview with David Diamond, September the 28th 2003

xenopeek wrote:Agree with samriggs; for selling a laptop with Linux Mint the most important part will be the marketing aspect--getting the message out there what it is and what it would do for the users. As a side note: my mother is in her sixties and uses Ubuntu without problems. Can't get her to switch to Linux Mint yet though

I didn't give my mother the option just went straight for lmde with the excuse, the other distro I would have to keep installing every six months this one I won't, she agreed on that selling point.

I can compare this with Apple (like before - sorry ). As my father bought his first MAC I had never seen anything like this before (I just did know normal PCs with Windows). I was surprised about the great design and the functional great OS.

Macs are better then windoze maainly because of the unix base over dos but at one place I worked at as a graphic designer, we used macs unitl we crashed a few of them and when they crashed they crashed hard, so they switched to windoze instead. Two macs we couldn't get back and lost a ton of graphic files because of it and then learnt the lessons of backing up your stuff Something that would be nice would be the ability to change covers with different mint designs if that is possible, the only thing would be printing them, you would need a digi printer that could print vinyl if not flip covers then at least stick the vinyl on the tops with the option to change them with other ones printed on vinyl they can just stick on it, for these there are a ton of mint wallpapers that could perform this, just have to ask the artist permission to do this, I have a few out there but mine are usually not suitable for covers but a lot of others are.Hopefully I can get some free time inbetween my studies and other stuff to help you in this.I will try and hope other artist get involved, the more choices the better for a great design packgae.Sam

"Windows: the worst system for the most money, Linux: the best system for free" Registered Linux User #545430Arch Cinnamon / Mint Cinnamonasus X751LX and an acer and a toshiba and another asus

Okay I thought about this stuff again. I came to this todo-list for the first steps:

- I have a Dell Latitude E5500. I'll measure the complete case and make a draft of the laptop so that the designs which will be created can be fitted to this laptop (at first)- Than I'll let print the vynils for this laptop to create a prototype- Than I'll talk with Clem- Than with the hardware corporation (depends on the result of the conversation with Clem)

"Really, I'm not out to destroy Microsoft. That will just be a completely unintentional side effect."- Linus Torvalds Interview with David Diamond, September the 28th 2003

Interesting. There are some dedicated Linux sellers in the Netherlands. They sell laptops (Lenovo, HP, Acer and such) on-line with pre-installed Ubuntu. I'm sure that is the case for many other countries as well. It might be worth aligning with them if this idea gets to production.

Clem wrote me an email. He said, that the most important thing ist to get a manufacturer. That's why I'll talk to the listed companys and ask them if they would take part. Clem said that the design isn't really a problem for our community. The most difficult thing is to get a partner.

"Really, I'm not out to destroy Microsoft. That will just be a completely unintentional side effect."- Linus Torvalds Interview with David Diamond, September the 28th 2003